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Staffing

Examiner: Des CoatesModerator: Nola Passmore

Requisites

Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in Program BSCH in Psychology major (12302) or Program BPSH

Rationale

This course is designed to provide a solid foundation in the basic skills and concepts needed to pursue a career in counselling, and it comprises the counselling practice component of the program. Other professional issues specifically related to counselling practice, including cross-cultural sensitivity and awareness, are also covered in this course in order to ensure that students are aware of the parameters of appropriate professional practice.

Synopsis

This course provides students with a thorough understanding of the counselling process. The focus of the course is practical with reference to previously learnt counselling theory. Students will develop the basic foundation skills of counselling, as well as the ability to formulate, plan and evaluate therapy. Professional issues pertaining to all aspects of counselling will be covered in detail, as well as contextual issues impacting upon the client and the therapeutic process. These issues include gender and cross-cultural issues. There is an emphasis on both personal and professional self-exploration and development. Toowoomba Campus: This course will be offered via two compulsory workshops on-campus, each of two days' duration, and by self-directed study, readings, assignments and web-based discussion groups. Springfield Campus: This course will be offered via weekly classes which incorporate practical and regular written work, part of which will form the assessment.

Objectives

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

demonstrate a capacity for planning and conducting professional counselling to individuals presenting with a variety of problems;

demonstrate a sound knowledge and understanding of the relevant professional skills and issues associated with counselling practice;

demonstrate an understanding of and sensitivity toward cross-cultural issues in counselling diverse populations.

Topics

Description

Weighting(%)

1.

Week/Module One: THE COUNSELLOR: PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL - what is counselling? - counsellors in therapy - the counselling relationship - issues faced by beginning counsellors - ethical and professional issues related to professional practice

Week/Module Nine: ADVANCED COUNSELLING SKILLS - use of confrontation - working with grief and loss. Practicum: Dyads 2. Last week's clients become therapists and vice-versa. Diagnosis selected between weeks 7 and 8 is used by client.

5.00

10.

Week/Module Ten: ADVANCED COUNSELLING SKILLS, cont'd - focussing - the genogram. Practicum: Develop your own personal genogram and identify issues relevant to things that are happening in your life (positive or negative) at the time.

Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from USQ's Online Bookshop (unless otherwise stated). (https://bookshop.usq.edu.au/bookweb/subject.cgi?year=2012&sem=01&subject1=PSY4030)

Reference materials

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

Student workload requirements

Activity

Hours

Assessments

46.00

Examinations

2.00

Private Study

98.00

Workshops

32.00

Assessment details

Description

Marks out of

Wtg (%)

Due Date

Notes

VIDEOTAPE/SELF-EVALUATION

90

29

01 May 2012

ONLINE DISCUSS FOLIO/SUMMARY

20

19

12 Jun 2012

ONLINE DISCUSS PARTICIPATION

1

1

12 Jun 2012

(see note 1)

ATTENDANCE AT TWO WORKSHOPS

1

1

22 Jun 2012

(see note 2)

2 HR RESTRICTED EXAMINATION

100

50

End S1

(see note 3)

NOTES

Weekly participation in online discussions is required over the course of the semester, with a minimum of 10 weekly original submissions.

Attendance at two on-campus workshops is required according to the Honours Workshop Schedule.

The two hour restricted examination will be given at the end of the semester according to the published timetable. The exam will consist of a series of short answer questions based on counselling case studies similar to those presented in the textbook and during the workshops, as well as an essay question.

Important assessment information

Attendance requirements:
It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in the two, two-day compulsory workshops held on-campus, where the skills components of this course will be taught and where students will engage in several required assignments. It is also the students' responsibility to participate weekly in the online discussion groups. Further, it is the students' responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them in order to maximise their chances of meeting the objectives of the course and to be well-informed of necessary course-related activities and relevant administrative information. If circumstances prevent a student from attending any portion of a workshop, the student must contact the examiner IN ADVANCE, if at all possible. The student must also contact the examiner in order to arrange an alternative activity. This could be a written assignment based on the material covered in the missed workshop. Attendance at and participation in the two workshops and/or completion of one or more alternative activities at a standard judged to be appropriate by the examiner is required before the one mark for the workshops can be awarded.

Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To complete each of the assignments satisfactorily, students must obtain at least 50% of the marks available for ’Video Tape/Self-Evaluation’, ‘Online Discussion Folio/Summary’, and ‘2HR Restricted Examination’ . Students must also obtain 100% of the marks available for ‘Online Discussion Participation’ and ‘Attendance at Two Workshops’.

Penalties for late submission of required work:
If students submit assignments after the due date without prior approval then a penalty of 5% of the total marks gained by the student for the assignment will apply for each working day late. Late weekly submissions to the online discussion will not be accepted.

Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course and satisfactorily complete the Workshop and Online Discussion Participation.

Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the weighted aggregate of the marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.

Examination information:
Students whose first language is not English, may take an appropriate unmarked non-electronic translation dictionary (but not technical dictionary) into the examination. Dictionaries with any handwritten notes will not be permitted. Translation dictionaries will be subject to perusal and may be removed from the candidate's possession until the appropriate disciplinary action is completed if found to contain material that could give the candidate an unfair advantage.

Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
There will be no supplementary examinations in this course.

University Student Policies:
Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene University policies and practices. These policies can be found at http://policy.usq.edu.au.

Assessment notes

Students are required to contribute to weekly online discussions throughout the semester beginning in week one of the course. While it is understandable that a week or two may be missed during the semester, a minimum of 10 weekly original submissions is required and late submissions will not be accepted. Topics for discussion will involve the counselling skills and techniques and broader counselling issues covered in the course. An 'original' contribution will consist of a 100-300 word reflection on or critical appraisal of course material and/or related topics, though students are also expected to ask questions and to respond to the contributions and ideas of their fellow students. At the end of the semester, students must select and submit a folio of five of their own original contributions along with a brief summary 500-1000 words), addressing each of the contributions separately, of the relevance of those contributions to the overall objectives of the course. The summary should be written in APA style.

Students must submit a 15-20 minute videotape of a role-played counselling session where the student, in the role of the counsellor, uses the skills learned in the course. For purposes of this exercise, a volunteer recruited by the student will take the role of the client. The issue(s) discussed in the role-play are of the student's choosing and are not relevant to the assessment. The videotaped session is to be evaluated by the student according to the format provided in the Introductory Book and both the tape and the self-evaluation are to be submitted to the examiner. Students will be marked only on their self-evaluation and not on the videotaped session itself. Thus, they are assessed on the basis of their appraisal of their performance and not on their actual performance. However, where a skill or technique may not have been used during the session, the student is still expected to demonstrate understanding of that concept and its application.

The due date for an assignment is the date by which a student must despatch an assignment to the USQ. The onus is on the student to provide proof of the despatch date, if requested by the examiner; STUDENTS MUST RETAIN A DATED RECEIPT FROM THE POST OFFICE WHEN POSTING ASSIGNMENTS.

Students must retain a copy of each item submitted for assessment. This must be despatched to the USQ within 24 hours of receipt of a request to do so.

In accordance with University Policy, the examiner may grant an extension of the due date of an assignment in extenuating circumstances. STUDENTS MUST CONTACT THE EXAMINER DIRECTLY, IN ADVANCE, IN ORDER TO OBTAIN AN EXTENSION.

The Faculty of Sciences will NOT accept submission of assignments by facsimile.

Students who do not qualify for a Passing grade may, at the discretion of the Examiner, be assigned additional work to demonstrate to the Examiner that they have achieved the required standard. It is expected that such students will have gained at least 45% of the total marks available for all summative items.

The two hour, restricted examination will be given at the end of the semester according to the published timetable. The exam will consist of a series of short answer questions based on counselling case studies similar to those presented in the textbook and during the workshops, as well as an essay question. Students may bring only writing materials into the closed examination.

APA style is the referencing system required in this course. Students should use APA style in their assignments to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The APA style to be used is defined by the USQ Library's referencing guide. http://www.usq.edu.au/library/referencing

Other requirements

Students will require regular access to e-mail and internet access to UConnect for this course.